Vices & Versa

Vices & VersaVices & Versa
Vices & VersaVices & Versa
Bar, Eatery

6631 Boul Saint-Laurent
Montréal, Quebec, H2S 3C5
Canada

(514) 272-2498 | map
vicesetversa.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.33
Reviews:
35
Ratings:
58
pDev:
9.47%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by skivtjerry:
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Reviewed by skivtjerry from Vermont

4.53/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
My wife and I stopped in here during a long weekend in Montreal last month. Contrary to some reviewers, we thought it was extremely easy and convenient to find from the metro. It has a bit of a hole in the wall look from the outside, but once past the doors, it's much more inviting. This place is very much a comfy hangout for locals, despite the many beer tourists who stop by. Behind our table, a backgammon game was going on; at the bar in front of us, a writer was putting together a rather interesting magazine article on his laptop. Our waiter, Janie, was super attentive and efficient and also very knowledgeable about beer - even wrote us a short note of introduction to a couple of brewers at Dieu du Ciel.

We had a couple of tapas style snacks that were very good (love those nicoise olives in every dish!) and a stupendous cheese plate of artisanal Quebec cheeses.

And the beer... they serve exclusively Quebec beers, 33 on tap. Sampler trays are available, with the curious caveat that they must be in numerical sequence from the chalkboard! There are some treasures on tap (including lots of Hopfenstark and DDC), as well as a couple of clunkers. The clunkers are forgiven; I applaud their determination to serve only local beers, and as many of them as possible.

If you're planning to visit Montreal without stopping here, just stay home.
Jun 07, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.54 by blisscent from Rhode Island

Sep 06, 2023
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Reviewed by UrbanBeerNerd from Massachusetts

4.51/5  rDev +4.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 5
I found this place by checking out Beer Advocate's beer guide for Montreal, and I couldn't have been happier. It was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a good selection of local Montreal beers/Canadian beers and also a good lambic selection. And that sentence pretty much sums up my experience there. I wandered in and walked all the way to the back of the bar, where the bottle fridge sits. I immediately noticed a bunch of fruited Tilquin bottles ... and one bottle of 2008 Cantillon gueuze sitting off to the side waiting for me. I immediately ordered it and was surprised to find it relatively reasonably priced at CA$80. Dieu de Ciel's Peche Mortel day was a week earlier so they still had half a dozen Peche Mortel variants, which was awesome. Vices & Versa rules. Next time I'm in Montreal, I'll be sitting at their bar.
Feb 23, 2023
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Reviewed by jophish17 from Georgia

4.23/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5
Fantastic bar, I went twice on my most recent trip. Beer selection is amazing, lots of Quebec representation on the taps and even oddballs like Rose de Gambrinus. One of the best bars in Montreal.
Jun 15, 2022
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Reviewed by cratez from Canada (ON)

4.23/5  rDev -2.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5
Came here with a friend on my first visit; was flying solo the second time.

Had the following over the course of two sessions:
2015 Hill Farmstead Dorothy (bottle)
Les Trois Mousquetaires IPA Expérimentale (draft)
Dieu du Ciel! Le Petit Détour (draft)
Les Trois Mousquetaires Oktoberfest (draft)

The beers ranged from good (Petit) to mind-blowing (Dorothy), and the draft and bottle lists were impressive. Service was super friendly the first time and non-existent the second (bartender disappeared until I had to pay). Didn't eat on either occasion. Overall, Vices & Versa is a very good beer bar that is certainly worth visiting if you find yourself in Montreal.
Feb 14, 2020
 
Rated: 4.59 by ------ from Massachusetts

Sep 03, 2018
 
Rated: 4.25 by liquorpig from Massachusetts

Aug 03, 2018
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Reviewed by eberesford from Canada (ON)

4.43/5  rDev +2.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.75
Astonishing range of beers on tap from one of the richest brewing regions on the continent. Also some bottles including rarities / limited edition bottles. Part owned by Brasserie Dunham. This place is not to be missed by any beer drinker in Montreal. Staff are knowledgable and helpful - food just snacks - but very tasty.
Dec 01, 2017
 
Rated: 4.89 by eawolff99 from Minnesota

Oct 24, 2017
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Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

4.34/5  rDev +0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
Vices & Versa is a small bar not far from the Marché Jean-Talon to the west, and Brasserie Dieu du Ciel to the east (a 20 minute walk).

There's a very nice deck out back, and lots of wood and exposed brick in the small rooms inside around the bar. It can get a little bit tight, but the service is exceptional and you shouldn't have to wait long for a beer. In fact, with 32 taps to choose from, as well as up to 8 cask ales, it'll probably take you longer to decide what you want than it will for them to deliver it to you.

Besides the deck, the selling point for me is that all of the beers are local. As a non-resident I want to try the local brews and there's no where else in Montréal to do that. Sure, if you've got the time you can visit some of the brewpubs and breweries, but this is kind of a one-stop-shop.

Beyond that, they have food! Sausages, sandwiches, pizza, burgers, nachos and frites! And if you want to get a little fancier than that they've got excellent cheese and pâté plates. It can sometimes be hard to find food when you're "beer touring", and this is a nice stop. Highly recommended!
Feb 08, 2017
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Reviewed by TheDoctor from Canada (QC)

4.25/5  rDev -1.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.25
This is a great place, easily one of the best beer bars in Montreal. It is a seemingly small bar that is stretched into an adjacent store front (or at least it seems that way). It looks like nothing from the street though. Inside is a bar and kitchen with interesting and diverse Quebec beers and dishes of all sorts. They have 30 some-odd taps, casks and a full bar with lots of scotch and whiskey. The service is excellent and the food is very good. Additionally they are very active in the scene and host a variety of different events throughout the year. An excellent bar, I just wish it was closer to my house...

Tourists, this is the best place to go if you want to try a variety of everything Quebec beer has to offer in one place. Close to delicious Little Italy food and whatnot as well!
Jan 09, 2017
 
Rated: 4.67 by Ike-Jin-Park from Massachusetts

Nov 30, 2016
 
Rated: 4.74 by Jotora from Canada (ON)

Sep 22, 2016
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Reviewed by Shanex from France

4.38/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.5
Curiously this bar is very close to the brewery Dieu du ciel! It's at walking distance.

The bottle and on tap selection is incredible and the atmosphere really great too. I was there a couple times and if I'm ever back in Montreal will stop by again
Jul 05, 2016
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Reviewed by jjboesen from Maryland

4.39/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
This wonderful establishment can be found on the Boulevard St-Laurent (Bus 55) and is well worth the trip. It is a homey place with a bar/dining area along with a separate dining room and a patio out back. The beers are all made in Quebec and cannot be found anywhere else outside the province. The selection was excellent with a large variety of IPAs, saissons and a few bretts and stouts along the way. The service was great as was the food. If you ever had the desire to try Bison Burgers, this is the place. An all around great place to hit and without the hipster intensity found in the Latin Quarter.
Jun 16, 2016
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Reviewed by SportsandJorts from Virginia

4.15/5  rDev -4.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.25 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.25
Atmosphere: didn't really check out the inside too much but the back patio was very nice. huge patio with nice maple trees limbs hanging into it give it a nice backyard feel. overlooks a nice little park that had a pick up basketball game going on, would love to play some basketball and then drop off for a beer.

Quality: Looks like they represent all the Montreal breweries and a wide variety of styles

Service: pretty good service, they spoke English well and were pretty good about looking over our table. I knew the beers on the list pretty well so not sure how helpful they are if you have questions or need suggestions

Selection: I heard there is a good bottle list but I stayed on the taplist. 30 or so taps, covering a wide variety of Quebec breweries and just about every style. certainly easy to find something you enjoy.

Food: not a huge or crazy menu but the food I had was very well prepared and quite tasty.

Overall: a must hit in Montreal for the BAs. huge taplist nicely covers the things you will want to try when here. Look to bottle list for some rarities too I believe. Great food and great atmosphere
Jun 06, 2016
 
Rated: 4.01 by doctorpepperguy from Kentucky

May 24, 2016
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Reviewed by gphilli9 from Canada (QC)

3.79/5  rDev -12.5%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4 | service: 2.75 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Some of my friends love Vices & Versa; I am, however, not as enamored with this beer bar as they are. The vibe is quite relaxed and a nice place to have an after work beer. They have a very good selection of craft beer - mostly from Quebec. My real problem stems with its service. Their beer board is handwritten and sometimes hard to read. More problematic is the absolute apathy of their staff, who have mislead me on more than one occasion. Some of them simply don't know much about their beers on tap, and don't seem to care. Food is average.
May 20, 2016
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Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.99/5  rDev -7.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.25
One of the better bars in town, with attention to extensive tap and bottle list. Few lousy choices - they try to give the people what they want although 96% quebec.most dunham i have seen in town. Packed and everyone in their clique.
May 09, 2016
 
Rated: 4.5 by QCHopper from Vermont

Mar 11, 2016
 
Rated: 4.34 by Kvezeau from Canada (QC)

Jan 27, 2016
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Reviewed by smcolw from Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -7.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
Boxing Day, 2015 at 1pm. The place is quiet as is most of the city.

Friendly and bilingual, meaning that English is freely spoken here. This is not alway the case in Montreal (I'm looking at you Brasserie du Ciel). The vibe is low key and easy going.

The selection is extensive and mostly "Artisanale Quebec"--32 beers on tap and only one is from the USA and one from Ontario.

The food was basic but very well made. The choices are limited but there seemed to be something for everyone.
Dec 26, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by theDuck from Canada (QC)

Nov 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by Ajlvt from Washington

Oct 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.71 by CATVDK from Maine

Oct 25, 2015
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Reviewed by TheSevenDuffs from Canada (ON)

4.01/5  rDev -7.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 4
This is a really nice spot that takes a taxi to get to from downtown as a tourist, but is worth the trip. Great atmosphere, excellent service and a nice variety of options on tap. A good representation of different Quebec breweries was available. Had the nachos to eat, which were very good.
Oct 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by trevorpost from Pennsylvania

May 24, 2015
 
Rated: 4.7 by StoutBoi from New York

Feb 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4.21 by Canada_Dan from Colorado

Nov 21, 2014
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Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts

2.25/5  rDev -48%
Stopped by here with JLindros on the trip through Montreal. Arrived around midnight or so, as basically every bar is open until 3am and the place was fairly empty. We were both exhausted and took a seat at the bar. Took a while for the bar tender to come over, he was not very interactive and really did not give a run down of the 36 or so beers they had on tap. It's worth noting too, if patrons wanted water they had a nondescript Gatorade-esc water cooler and some plastic cups at the end of the bar. Quite classy. ALSO worth noting that numerous flies on the glassware that was hanging over the bar on the inside of the glasses, so if that's allowed to happen what other cleanliness issues could be lurking out of sight?
Nov 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Whatup14 from Canada (QC)

Oct 14, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by AnHeroicHippo from Canada (QC)

Aug 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by rale from France

Aug 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4.75 by mbonugli from Maine

Jun 17, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by mfunk9786 from Pennsylvania

Jun 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by acurtis from New Jersey

May 22, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by tony11 from Canada (QC)

Mar 23, 2014
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Reviewed by SSS from Canada (QC)

4.14/5  rDev -4.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4.5 | food: 2.5
I absolutely love love love this place, it has the greatest atmosphere during the summer in their backyard terrace. The trees are overgrown into the seating area and it creates a very nice ambiance. The beer selection is very nice, with a good variety of local initiatives. Prices are reasonable. However, I do not recommend the food, I was very disappointed with my sausage selection, as it was a full 10 pounds of bread, with a small endowed sausage in the middle...they should do better!
Jan 20, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by davegray from California

Nov 14, 2013
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Reviewed by jsco from Canada (QC)

4.24/5  rDev -2.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.75 | food: 3
Excellent and broad (over 30 drafts) selection from local breweries, with fairly regular changes. A while back, there was an emphasis on IPAs (that's a good thing). You can get a 6-beer sampler if you can't make up your mind. The food is so-so... got a fairly raw burger once. Service varies, with the occasional grumpy-artist-hipster, but is not too bad.
Oct 18, 2013
Vices & Versa in Montréal, QC, Canada
Place rating: 4.33 out of 5 with 58 ratings